Fountain attachment for pens



(No Model.)

B. A. BRANDENBURG FOUNTAIN ATTACHMENT FOR BENS. N0. 333.104. PatentedDec. 29, 1885.

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A'IENT EDWARD A. BRANDENBURG, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

SPECIEICATIONfonning part of Letters Patent No. 333,104, dated December 29, 1885.

- Application filed August 6, 1895. Serial No. 173,742. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. BRANDEN- BURG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fountain Attachments for Pens, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to increase the inkholding capacity, and also to modify and regulate the shading action of an ordinary pen, by providing it with a simple adjustable device for that purpose, the nature of which will hereinafter be fully set forth and described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side view of the invention applied to apen; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 8, a plan view thereof from the under side of the pen; Fig. 4, a similar view from the upper side of the pen; Fig. 5, a plan view of the blank from which the device is formed, and Fig. 6 a plan view of the attachment from the upper side as complete.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The device is so simple that a glance at the drawings will show its general construction.

It consists of a metallic plate, A, having a slotted transverse lug at one end adapted to retain the pen near the point, and two lateral lugs, b b, at the other end adapted to retain the shank of the pen, as will be seen by referring to the drawings. The slot at is preferably curved slightly, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to conform to the shape of the pen, and the lugs 11 b,above the angle made in bending them,are curved inwardly for the same purpose. Above the plate A, attached to it at an acute angle, is a supplemental tongue, 0, which assists the main plate in retaining the ink on the lower side of the pen, and may be made to add to the stiffness of the pen, if desired. Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the lower end of the tongue bears against the pen at a point a little above the slotted lug a. The nibs of the pen being retained in the slot, it is evident that as the pen tends to straighten under a downward pressure the point of the tongue will be correspondingly depressed, and the pen in effect stiffened to that extent. Ap-

plied to old gold pens that by long use have become-too limber, this feature will be found valuable and important. The effect may be avoided altogether by bending the point of the tongue down so far as not to be affected by pressure on the pen. This tongue may be a simple plain strip of metal, or be made concave on the upper surface, the better to retain the ink. In the drawings, however, a novel form of tongue is shown, which I regard as best adapted for the purpose. In the plane and pointed tongue is formed a tapering slit, which helps to hold the ink, and at the same time allows the separate parts of the tongue to move independently, corresponding to the movement of the nibs of the pen. the lower plate alone will greatly increase the ink-holding capacity of the pen, and the tongue may be dispensed with altogether, though its presence renders the device more effective and satisfactory for the reasons that have been stated.

The invention is easily and quickly applied to any pen by slipping the point into the slot and the sides of the pen between the lateral lugs. The distance which the nibs of the pen can spread is limited by the width of the slot, and by adjusting the deviceup or down on the pen the spread and the corresponding shade of the same may be regulated, as will appear from a comparison of Figs. 3 and 4.

In practice I make the article from ablank of sheet metal cut or stamped in the form of Fig. 5. At the places indicated by the dotted lines in said figure the lug a is turned up at a right angle, the lugs 11 b are bent upward and curved inward, and the tongue 0 is folded back, as shown in Fig. 6.

It may be manufactured at a trifling eX- pense from brass; or some other metal not effected by the acids of ink may be easily attached to the pen for use and detached for cleaning or otherwise, and thus constitutes a practical and useful article for the purpose intended.

It is designed that the article shall be manufactured in several different sizes, adapting it to the ordinary varieties of pens.

It is understood that a slotted lug has been used heretofore to retain the nibs of a pen, and that fountain attachments have been fastened to pens by means of lugs embracing the sides of the pen-shank. I therefore make no broad Obviously claim to either of those respective devices, except in combination with the other elements of my invention and for the purposes stated.

Having thus described my invention. WhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A fountain attachment for pens, consisting of the plate A, having lugs b 1), adapted to embrace the sides of the pen-shank, and a slotted lug, a, adapted to retain the nibs of the pen, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 7

2. In a fountain attachment for pens, the plate A, having slotted lug 1, and lateral lugs b 12, substantially as described, in combination with the tongue 0, adapted to aid in retaining the ink and modify the flexibility of the pen, substantially as set forth.

3. As a new article ofmannfacture, the described fountain attachment for pens, consisting of the plate A, having terminal slotted lug a, lateral lugs b b, and tongue 0, having the slit 0. substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD A. BRANDENBURG.

Vitnesses:

L. T. WILCOX, G. GI \VALTnRs. 

